Internal-combustion engine



NUV. 13, m 2,691,152

W. M. GOODVVIN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Ja 11, 1927 III /a Q v Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

ri e.

WILLIAM M. GOODWIN, OF CENTRAL SQUARE, NEW YORK.

V i INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed January 11, 1927. Serial No. 160,406.

This invention relates to certain improvements in internal combustion engines and refers more particularly to the means for operating the poppet valves which control the fuel intake and exhaust ports including the cam shaft and housing therefor.

The main obj ect is to reduce to a minimum the lost motion in the connections between to reduce the noise and wear incidental to such lost motion.

- One of "the specific objects is to run the cam shaft in an oil bath so as to maintain a thin-film of oil at the points of contact between the cams and valve actuating parts in contact therewith.

Another specific object is to journal the cam shaft in an oil-containing casing which may be removed or replaced at will with the cam shaft therein sothat when replaced the cams will be properly alined with their respective valves.

A further'object is to mount the cam operated tappets or plungers directly upon the oil containing case to be removed or replaced therewith. v

.Otherobjects and uses will be brought out inthe following description.

In thev drawings Figure 1' is a transverse vertical sectional view of the cam shaft casing and tappet for transmitting motion from the cam to'the poppet valve taken in the plane of line 11, Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2, Figure 1, except that the plunger cam and cam shaft are shown in elevation. V

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in the plane of line 3+3, Figure 2, showing one of the shims for taking-up lost motion and the spring clip for holding the same in operative position. v

In order that the invention may be clearly understood I have shown a relatively small f portion of the frame A of an internal combustion engine having a circular opening a in, which is mounted a casing 1-. having a cylindrical oil chamber 2 and a radial opening 3- leading from the chamber 2, said casing being provided with a radial boss 4 through which'the opening--'3, extends for a purpose presently described.

The. casing l is also provided with one ormore circular flanges -5 eccentric to i the axis of the cylindrical chamber 2. so as to extend beyond the outer end of the boss -1 and also beyond the remaining pors tions of thecasing to permit the latter to be nserted or withdrawn endwise into and from the openings a in the engineframe Acam shaft 6 is provided with a circular flange .7 of substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the chamber 2- so as to rotate ,upon the walls of said chamber as a bearing for the cam shaft 6.

This cam shaft is also provided with a cam 8- of suitable construction registermg with the opening 3 for operating a cylindrical tappet 9 which is guided in the opening 3 and is, therefore, movable radially relatively to-the shaft 6.

The tappet 9 is chambered at 10-' from its outward end inwardly the greater portion of its length but is closed at its inner end and is also closed at itsouter end of a cap section 11 tightly fitted in the adjacent end of the chamber -10..-

This cap section -11 is provided with a central opening for'receiving a radially movable tappet section -12, having its outer end enlarged to form a head 13 and its inner end provided with a cross pin 14 to hold the tappet member against outward axial displacement while theihead -13-performs a similar function in holding' the tappet member against undue inward displacement.v

A valve ste1n-o is adapted to rest endwise against the outer face of the head 13.- of the tappet member -l2 and is'held in such engagement by the usual spring, not necessary to herein illustrate or describe it being understoodv that the valve stem o represents an ordinary fuel intake or exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine.

Inorder to take up any lost motion which may exist in the connection between the tappet.9 and valve ,e.' or rather between the head 13 of the tappet member .12'- and the valve 'u' one or more shims .-15 may be inserted between the inner face of the head 13 and adjacentouter end face of the cap section -11, the thickness of the shim being selected according to the amount of lost motion.

That is, shims of different thicknesses are --in-'the joint'between the periphery of the kept on hand to takeup the greater part of the lost motion when necessary.

These shims are preferably made in the form of Washers having radial slots 16 opening through one side thereof to permit them to be easily and quickly placed in operative position or removed but when placed in operative position are retained by spring clasps 17- constituting split spring rings having their intermediate portions extended across-the open endsof-the slots 16- and depressed inwardly at --1"8- to engage the ad]acent side'of the tappet member 12-, the opposite ends of the clasp being provided with handles 19 by which the clasp may be opened and removed from the washers when necessary to permit the removal of the washer.

A coilspring 20- surrounds the inner end of the tappet member 1% and is interposed between the cross pin -'1 land inner end of the cap section-ll for yieldingly holding'the head 13in' contact with the outer face of the washer or shim -15 and thereby preventing lost motion between those parts. 1

The interior of the casing-*1 contains a sufficient amount of oil to envelop the cam shaft '6- and cam 8 and also to furnish lubricant for the bearing member 7, portionsof'said'oilbeing also conveyed by the c rotation of the cam shaft to the periphery of the-tappet -9 -for lubricating the same in its reciprocatory motion in the guide open- Furthermore,- this oil is carried in a thin film to theline of contact between thecam -''8'-'--and tappet 9-- thereby reducing to a minimum the noise'and wear incidental to such contact.

-'Itwis to'be understood, of course, that the cam shaft 6' will be provided with a number of cams -'8 corresponding to the numberof valves to be operated and that a corresponding-numberof tappets 9 will be used in connection with their respective cams.

In like manner the number of bearing flanges" 7 may correspond approximately to the number of cylinders of the engine.

The casing 1 may also be provided with any 'number of flanges 5- as may be required to; properlysupport the casing in a corresponding nu'mber'of openings -w in the engine frame A.

- If-desircd, the casing +1 may beheld against rotation in the opening -a by key screws a' which are preferably arranged flange '-'5 and frame A as shown in *Figure 2. I

These screws -a' may'also serve to hold the casing against endwise movement in the frame ia-but when removed the casing 1 with the cam shaft 6 and tappets thereon may be withdrawn endwise placed in operative position its guide opening =3+-and boss 4 will eXtend'in' the direction of eccentricity of the circular eccentric flanges 5- radial to the axis of the shaft and co-axia'l with the valve 'v+ after which the cylindrical tappet 9- maybe inserted in the guide opening 3 andone or more shims '15- placed between the head of the tappet section '12' to takeup an'y lo'st motion between the head 1 l of the tappet 9' and adjacent end of the valve stem.

The shims '15- may be inserted between the heads -l3 and '1l simply lift-' ing the' tappet member -12 outwardly against the action of its retracting spring 20- and then releasing the member 12 which allows the spring- 20 to allow the shims between the" heads '-13 and 11. 7 When the proper shim has-beeniplaced' in operative position it is retained in that position by the clip-l7' shown in Figure 3.

and tappet 9-and'that when this unit is The cylindrical formationo'f the tappet member '9' permits angular adjustment thereof to permit"d-iife'rent portions of its innerflat face to the ca m '=8, this adjustment being made by means of the head 1l which extends beyond the oute'r end of the boss 4 and-corresponding end of the tappet -9 and constitutes a convenient handle for that purpose.

Another advantage ofthe cylindrical form of the tappet 9 is that it may be easily removed and replaced when the valve is removed from its operative position.

1. *"In an internal combustion engine ofthe poppet-valve typey'an engine frame"havin an opening, an oil-containingcasesupported from'andprovidedwitha radial guide-open- 1ng,'a valve-operating plunger slidable radially insaid guide-opening, and acam-shaft journaled within the-'oil-containing case for operating said plung'er, the opening in the engine frame being sufficiently large to allow' the oil-containing case to be withdrawn and replaced endwisetherethrough.

2. The combination with an internal combustion-engine frame having a circular opening, a tubular casing supported in said opening and provided with-a radial guide open ing, a valve-operating plunger movable in said guide opening, and cam shaft journaled within'the tubular casing for operating said plunger, the opening in thefra'me being of in said opening and removable endwise there- 7 5 greater diameter than the external diameter of the casing'to permit said casing with the cam-shaft and plunger therein to be displaced endwise without changing the normal relation between the casing, camshaft and plunger. I

v 3. An internal combustion engine as in claim 2 in which the circular opening in the :frame is eccentric to the axis of the tubular casing and its longer radius is disposed at l the same side of said axis as the guide opening for the plunger.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of December 1926.

WILLIAM M. GOODWIN. 

